Album of the week

**complicateur** · 30th January 2009, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Guess_Me

An old article on Iruvar soundtrack from dhwanii.com:

ozhungA Iruvar paththi ezhuthalAm-nu vanthA intha mAthiri post.

This is probably not the place to counter it so I will let it go (in spite of it being hard to not say anything about nAdOdi thenRal being a "disaster").

Originally Posted by littlemaster1982

Track listing:
5. Ayirathil Naan Oruvan - Mano

A personal anecdote with respect to the above song. The year was 1997 and there was a hotly contested election going on. Yes it was just a non-descript school pupil leader election among 9th-12th standards at a high school in T.Nagar but to those 400 or so adolescents that was probably the most pressing issue at that time. After a week long campaign it was finally speech time and the representatives from both science elective sections had completed their sales pitch speeches.

The coordinating staff came on stage and announced the name of the third contestant from the commerce section. A couple of minutes of announcements later there was no response and suddenly a loud single cymbal beat filled the air followed by the opening strains of Ayiraththil nAn oruvan.

The crowd was suddenly abuzz and looked hither-thither, still no sign of the candidate. As Mano's voice, sounding quaintly like TMS, filled the air, the sea of humanity in the assembly hall parted down the centre (enterprising 12th commerce students had occupied the entire centre row) and the candidate arose from the rear just as the words nAn ninaiththAl ninaiththathu nadakkum and he timed his walk to the podium to end just as nIngaL ANayittAl padaith thalaivan!

It remains to this date one of the best lessons in never underestimating the power of spectacle and of course the impact of the music. Oh and before I forget, the dude won an absolute landslide victory!

**Google Adsense** · 30th January 2009 12:46 AM

**Roshan** · 30th January 2009, 08:55 AM

Interesting

I was very much eager to know as to what happened finally to the guy and was rushing through your post and ended up with a

No wonder MGR used movie songs for his political propaganda.

Mano's rendition of 'Ayirathil nAn oruvan' is commendable. Specially the line 'kunintha uLLam thuNinthu vittAl'

**ajaybaskar** · 30th January 2009, 09:05 AM

Iruvar is one of the best ARR-MR albums.. But honestly, its one of the most underrated too.. Probably because of the movie's BO failure.

Vennila, Narumugaiyae, Ayirathil still accompany my playlist. pookodiyin is my father's favourite since he is a HC MSV fan and he tells that the song has the stamp of MSV throughout. ARR's ability to create period music at the age of 30+ is stunning.

**Mahen** · 30th January 2009, 10:54 AM

Even the BGM is one of ARR's best..Check out the climax..

Perfect direction,music,visuals and acting..

**dinesh2002** · 2nd February 2009, 08:37 PM

Just finished listen to the whole album again.... my god.... what an album.... Yenge pa ARR's feet?? a complete album from him... such a SOLID album man..... the arrangments, the tune, the choice of singers, the lyrics.... u name it, its 100%.....

Ayyah Raasa.... ennale mudiyelei........

**Scale** · 5th February 2009, 02:07 AM

Ist song - aayirathil oruvan

prelude to Ist interlude :

ause <<rewind >play <repeat>

natural gush of world music :head spin: discover!

I was flipping through the video links of iruvar provided by Mahen and surprised to identify a short bgm at . <HEADPHONES ON 9.03> ennai ariyamale paada arambichitten. PEACE! its just a reflextion.

**sloshed** · 5th February 2009, 05:33 AM

If there was a movie from Tamil i will proudly go and exhibit to the world ...that would be Iruvar..Iruvar is as close to perfect filmaking as it could get..

MR visually portrayed what he wanted to say inthe first place .. and thats a big ask for today's directors..

**kamalsurya** · 26th February 2009, 09:18 PM

Has to be the best!!

**ArulprakasH** · 5th August 2009, 12:28 AM

Iruvar... One of my most favourite album of ARR...

Love all the songs particularly Aayirathil Naan Oruvan very much.. MGRkku ARR compose pannina songache.

**kid-glove** · 16th August 2009, 01:52 PM

Firstly on BGM:

Mani uses ARR's piece (the same percussion piece is used with varying tempo and varations for Anandan-Tamizhselvan track) to mute the crux of Anandan's speech (Macguffin? that it contributes to the eventual split) after Annadurai(Nasser)'s death. The variation in the musical motif serves to the magnitude of blow from one to another.

Shortly after, when Nambiar(Delhi) informs Anandan that the party has severed ties, Lal's (control of) emotion matched by the piece. And the mood swing when Anandan comes out of the room. The same piece is used for a similar (and beautifully conceived) moment in early part of the film, Anandan fails audition, and in stead, ends up doing a lesser role ('chinna bit vesham' in his own words). The melancholy significantly matches Anandan's struggle to whelm the tears ("apram Police Anandan-nu pEr ayidum"). It is also measuredly used in breaking of the car accident to Anandan, the impotency to find his feet and all. Brilliant acting.

I'm also reminded of the sequence from the fatal Gunshot to Anandan, up until Tamizhselvan taking up the CM seat.

It's not just serious stuff though. As Anandan enters into the sets (Merryland studios?) of the period movie he is about to star in, in a private moment, with a playful inhibition, he acts out an imaginary sequence of taking up the throne. Anandan shifts his body to try a majestic pose, then his attention takes to the machete replica, and he tries to take swings with wide-eyed vigor. I have to say the BGM compliments the acting and the mise-en-scene. It marries ambition to playfulness of the moment.

Without doubt, Rahman's best work.

More later on the songs.